California Maritime Academy Reviews

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Paul from Vallejo, CA

03/05/2013

Reviewer is A current student here.

3 out of 3 people found this review useful.
1 person found this inaccurate.
1 of 11

Categories

Comments

Campus Safety

We have public safety and California Police offers on campus just one click or call away! Not a dangerous campus at all!

Clubs and Activities

Sailing Crew Cross-country Rugby Basketball Christian Club and many more!

Great for these types of students

Cal Maritime is very diverse!

What to do for fun

Go out with friends! I like to go skydiving on weekends. Our school offers new movies for free! Every Thursdays our school shows a brand new movie to keep the students entertained. The school does offer sailing!

Food and Dining

Just like a buffet everyday! You will have a chance to eat three times a day, but after hours you can go to Morrow Cove. Morrow Cove is a small shop that sells drinks, sandwiches, and salads.

Dorm Life

The dorms are just like every other college. However, this school does offer 24-hour quite hours for those who prefer silence. These are CO-ed buildings, which means you will share the same halls, but not bathrooms.

Come in with a closed mind, but an open heart. Adjust to the military uniform standards, remembering you are here for a college education and not fun.

In three sentences

This is a great school with knowledgeable professors, who give their all in order for you to understand your major. It a school that offers specialized majors that will give you a cutting edge knowledge that others will never get. Cal Maritime Academy has one of the highest job placement out of all the CSU(s).

Megan from Petaluma, CA

02/16/2013

Reviewer is Accepted here and planning to attend soon.
Reviewer has been to campus.

2 out of 2 people found this review useful.
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In three sentences

This college has been so incredibly welcoming and wonderful; they encourage me and help me with any questions i may have. They are very personable and treat you like a real person, not just a number. Can't wait to go here!

Class of 2012

08/07/2013

Reviewer is A past student here.

2 out of 2 people found this review useful.
3 of 11

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Campus Safety

Interesting you should ask. While there is a Campus Security department, there main function is patrolling for parking violations, and investigating noise complaints. Students are expected to stand watch at the gate, and on the quarterdeck of the Golden Bear (The ship) The Campus is literally for the students by the students, and shirking the obligation will get you in big trouble. The campus is not located in the safest part of town, and leaving campus after dark is not recommended. However the campus itself is considered very safe, due in no small part to the gate and the uniformed present that watches it.

Greek Life

Nope.

Clubs and Activities

Depends on the time of year and interest of the students.

Great for these types of students

Students interested interested in the Maritime industry, especially those who liked the Boy Scouts, and have knack for math science, and craftsmanship. Oddballs.

Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

As part of the training cruises, students may participate in the Neptune Games.

Bang for the buck

There is cruise to foreign ports of call as part of the curriculum, which is not covered by tuition.

What to do for fun

There are very few activities on campus, and even fewer around campus. While there are clubs, and events, many are dependent on participation, which is dependent on the student's course work and Corps. Of Cadets obligations. Most social circles organize their own events for this reason. Even so there is a weekly movie night, and recreational trips off campus on most weekends. More enterprising students can put together a crew and rent a boat from the school and take it out for a spin. There is also a ferry into San Fransisco that leaves from the local marina. That said most people take advantage of the high speed Internet for day-to-day entertainment.

Food and Dining

This is arguably one of the worst features of the California Maritime Academy, the food on campus is awful in every conceivable way. Most students don't leave the cafeteria without visiting the restroom. However you will find yourself eating several helping because you will be hungry again soon after leaving the cafeteria (Which BTW, is only open for a few hour during the morning, afternoon and evening.) After you finish eating you will find a literal puddle of yellow grease on your plate. Fortunately CMA has an excellent baker who makes the deserts. For those who can afford it, there is the Morrow Cove Cafe, which is Sandwich shop during the afternoon (which will accept your meal card) and a pizza shop at night (which accepts money or flex points.) Otherwise there are vending machines. Those are your only dinning choices on campus. By the way the only cooking implements allowed in the dorms are microwaves, and coffee machines (Even so, fires are not infrequent, fortunately most students are trained in firefighting at some point). Off campus, there are a couple Pizza restaurants that will deliver to campus. The usual fast food restaurants are available too. For those with a bigger budget, and car available, the nearby Marina host some upscale restaurants. (It is difficult for freshmen to get parking passes by the way, parking outside the gate is not recommended.)

Dorm Life

There are three Dormitory built on a hill that overlooks the campus, and The waterfront. Each building is higher up the hill than the last. Happy climbing. The actual dorm rooms are spartan single dual-occupancy units organized by floor. The bathrooms are common and serve about 8 people. Two of the three building have common recreation rooms which are also rather spartan. One building has Fussball, Ping Pong, and Billiards, the other rooms have couches. Both have cable television. The dorm rooms also have cable television and high speed Internet connections. There are generally no dorm wide activities planned. Most students plan activities amongst themselves within their own social circles, which does not necessarily correspond to living arrangements.

Academic Rigor

The program is designed to be completed in 4 years. To achieve this you will need to take 4-6 classes each semester. The program stresses mathematics and science, especially engineering courses. There are also more practical courses such as welding, machining, knot tying, and Radar, and shipboard medical. Your course work is specialized and will feel like masters degree workload at times. Take advantage of the excellent tutoring center services.

Tips for prospective students

Research the maritime industry thoroughly before you apply. The school has a very high attrition rate and a very low morale on campus. If you are there for anything besides breaking into a Maritime field, you are in for a very tough time. However those that are committed to life on the seas have very good opportunities upon graduation, and the California Maritime Academy has good reputation and a niche in the maritime market. You should also think twice you suffer from motion sickness, are colorblind, or have any other medical or sensory condition that requires frequent treatment or special equipment, as you will need to pass licensing exam in addition to graduating.

In three sentences

Abandon hope all ye who enter: You will not get the typical college experience at the California Maritime Academy, the average cadet (student) takes about 15-18 units per semester (that is about 5-6 classes), So there won't be much time for partying, but you will be done in 4 years if all goes according to plan. The flogging will continue until moral improves: The Corps. Of Cadets is a pseudo-military student organization that runs the campus. In the name of unity and Esprit de Corps. You are expected to participate in Corps activities (morning formation, evening watch standing, mandatory meetings, etc..) and follow their rules and standards regarding dressing and grooming, or suffer demerits, and other non-specific retaliation. Yes the rum gone: The Maritime Academy is dry campus. (you will also have to submit to random drug tests) Party at your own peril.

Anonymous

08/19/2013

Reviewer is Accepted here and planning to attend soon.
Reviewer has been to campus.

1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
5 of 11

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What to do for fun

The campus has the normal sports facilities that you would find on any college campus but soon there will also be a brand new aquatic sports center. There are also technology and engine shops that students have used for extra-curricular uses or simply because they enjoy using them.

Food and Dining

I've been told by students who have already attending that there is a variety to the food compared to other colleges and there is currently another dining hall being built on campus.

Dorm Life

During a tour, I was shown the freshman residence hall which had a lot of different activities available. Aside from what students could do in their own rooms, there were TVs, pool tables, Foosball tables and more for students to do in between classes.

Academic Rigor

I will be attending as an engineering student and I find it interesting that my classes do vary, ranging from chemistry to welding lab. I even have courses that will take place on the training ship so I won't necessarily be in the same buildings every day.

Tips for prospective students

Don't think that just because it's a maritime academy, that you have to go to sea. I have talked to alumni who have worked for companies such as GE, Chevron and many other huge industries. Many of these alumni were also engineering students so these options are available to everyone.

In three sentences

I think the school deserves at least a nine for two main reasons. One being that the campus is beautiful and enjoyable, especially considering it is right on the water but also close to other cities such as San Francisco. The other reason is that from what I have heard from other students, the courses and opportunities that the students work hard in classes and on ships but also enjoy the work itself.

Dont whistle on the ship, captains hate it. The ship is awesome Sometimes at around 2 o'clock am, the fog is really dense and you can hear the ship bells from the other side of the bay. its pretty cool.

Bang for the buck

Just have fun

What to do for fun

Run, watch movies, play sports, sail, canoe, other waterstuff

Food and Dining

we have a cook we all call Mom. She makes the best cookies

Dorm Life

Not bad. Not amazing people. Make sure you have a cool roommate. Be friends with your roomie, it'll be easier for both of you

Academic Rigor

Mechanical engineering. 19 unites first semester, this semester is like 20 units

Tips for prospective students

KNow exactly what you want to do. Turn in all applications and test scores early

In three sentences

Pretty Cool. I like it, people are nice. Dr. Runyon's a tough teacher for chem, Watch out for him haha.

Markus from Vallejo, CA

Campus safety is great. We stay in a very friendly environment with around the clock police services patrolling the campus.

Greek Life

There is none.

Clubs and Activities

Offers many clubs and activities for all types of people. Their are over 20 clubs offered here on campus including a parkour free running club, adventure club and gay student alliance, just to name a few. We also offer numerous varsity sports and intramural sports teams.

Great for these types of students

This campus is great for students who focus on the overall picture. This campus isn't your typical college imagination with frat parties and girls galore. It is a strict quasi military type college. That being said it does get great results as over 90% of the graduates have good jobs right out of college.

What to do for fun

For fun i believe the best thing to do is become involved around campus. Partake in some of the varsity level sports or clubs and intramural activities here on campus. Their is also a six flags discovery kingdom located about 20 minutes away from campus.

Food and Dining

I believe the food and dinning here is decent. This year they just finished constructing a brand new state of the art buffet style dinning hall right on the water front. Our school also has a snack shack of sort called morrow cove that runs pretty late for studying students who get the late night munchies.

Dorm Life

The dorm life is good. Their currently is 4 residence halls including a training ship, where freshman engineer and marine transportation prospective students stay for a semester. The rooms are fairly spaced to accommodate you and the housing staff attempt to create many fun activities for us.

Academic Rigor

The academics here are amazing. We offer about 6 majors but the highlights are engineering, marine transportation, business and global studies. It is a small college ruffly about 1100 students enrolled so you get more one on one time with professors as most classes sit about 30 people max.

Tips for prospective students

Make sure this is something you really want to do and are interested in. We are a quasi military school so we do wear uniforms and we do have 07:30 am mandatory formations in the quad every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

In three sentences

California Maritime Academy is a great college located along the beautiful northern California bay area. It offers a little something for every personality type here with a variety of sports and clubs. It is a small campus so you get a lot of hands on experience in our interactive lab type courses.

Matthew

The area is sketchy but the campus is tucked in a corner so it is pretty safe. The police staff is pretty good too.

Greek Life

Nonexistant

What to do for fun

Anything off campus is fun. Going to San Fran is not to hard and going to other colleges on the weekend are the big thing. Also campus is dry so no drinking at all.

Food and Dining

The dining center, mess deck, is not the greatest. It would be in-between moms bad meat loaf and military food.

Dorm Life

Dorms are small, little choice, very strict and old. If you have to live on the boat do not plan on being extremely happy with the cleanliness. Some people have found mold that is not being taken care of.

Academic Rigor

There is many required extra curricular activities. Community service is required for the first three years. In all majors you must stand a watch, basically on the job training. It is not for someone that is bad at scheduling and time management.

Tips for prospective students

Visit the campus beforehand and try to learn a lot about your major. You want to make a good decision on major before you come because it is hard to change and costly.

In three sentences

This college is very unique and very challenging. The college is very similar to a semi-military or private institution while paying the price of a public college. The school is a glorified trade school with actual college curriculum.

Mikaella from Antioch, CA

Students interested in engineering, deck work, international business and logistics, and global studies.

Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

The campus owns a ship called the Golden Bear that goes out every summer. The engineering and deck students have complete control. They maintain and navigate the ship as they travel from country to country. We also stand watch because the school is run like a military academy and wear uniforms. It is also a mandatory requirement that we go out of the country for an international experience (built into curriculum).

What to do for fun

The school has great discounts for cool events like concerts, indoor sky diving, movie tickets, skiing, snowboarding, school dances and much more! There are also sports!

Food and Dining

It's great for the first few months, but they have given the dining hall a makeover, so the food is a bit better now.

Tips for prospective students

Just be prepared for formations at 7:20 am, standing watches and wearing uniforms!

In three sentences

This is a great school! This is a small campus with teachers that take education seriously. The programs offered are some of the best in the state of California.

Anonymous

10/05/2014

Reviewer is A current student here.

10 of 11

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Comments

Campus Safety

The campus police do a great job and patrol everywhere. Your car won't get broken into as long as its on campus with nothing and i mean NOTHING of value sitting in sight. Do not go off campus at night by yourself EVEN if your a male.

Greek Life

This entire school is a fraternity. There are 15% girls and this is the breakdown (50% unattractive, 25% lesbian, 20% have boy friends or get picked up immediately , 5% attractive datable girls) Your really gonna want to get out of this sausage fest on the weekend guys... For you girls out there ill tell you now get used to being hit on 24/7.

Clubs and Activities

There really are hardly any clubs here because it is such a small school. My advice is join a sports team because they really are not hard to get onto.

Great for these types of students

Students who are interested in the maritime industry and are not lazy. If you are unsure of what you want to do DO NOT COME HERE. You will end up realizing the maritime industry is not for you and none of your credits will transfer. Just go to community college for couple of years instead.

Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

Second floor of the Upper Residence Hall always has a prank war going on (e.g. freezing other peoples underwear. Wrapping everything in other peoples room in condoms etc). First Floor and Third floor be prepared for boring dorm life, nothing much happens there.

Bang for the buck

It is definitely financially worth it to attend this school. It is a state school so it isn't that expensive and you'll pay off debt fast if you are an MT or Engineer major. Every one in those majors get jobs straight after graduating around $80,000 and that shoots up fast after just a few years in the industry.

What to do for fun

If you do not have a car the options you have for the weekends are incredibly limited. The surrounding area is not safe at all and you have a very high chance of being mugged and stabbed if you go off campus after 8. There are plenty of parties at San Jose state and UC Berkley if you can get a ride. Other than that be prepared for movie night with your friends being the most exciting thing you'll do here.

Food and Dining

There is a wide variety of food available and I have found there has never been a day where there is nothing I can eat. It is all you can eat buffet style but be prepared to work out a lot. There is no possible way you can eat here and not gain weight if you don't work out daily.

Dorm Life

The Upper Res where freshman live are quite old but livable. It is super fun to be able to live with your friends. Hopefully you get a cool roommate cause if not your in for a difficult semester. -BRING ETHERNET CABLES. The wifi here is ridiculously bad. With a hard cable you won't stay connected for more than a few minutes at a time. -Bring a printer too they make you pay 15 cents a page

Academic Rigor

This school is in reality just another high school. The academics for MT majors are a joke and you will need to study very little to do well here. Engineers are another story however you will be up to 11 every night doing chemistry and calculus. Don't come to this school for anything else besides Marine transportation or Engineering. Business and global study majors are just asking for unemployment.

Tips for prospective students

-Don't buy your text books until at least the second week of school. Teacher tell you you absolutley need them and you end up spending hundreds on books you will never open. You can always borrow other peoples books when your figuring out which books you actually need. -Go to class. If you miss too much you may not graduate or get licensed -Bring a car even though they say freshman aren't allowed to have one. Just buy a parking pass from the upper class. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING HERE WITHOUT A CAR. -Bring lots of food and snacks first day. You won't get a chance to get to a grocery store for weeks without a car. -Get a job the summer before. You will find life is much more expensive then you anticipated. Buying groceries and going on dates is expensive. -Have as much sex as possible before coming. There are literally no girls here. -Bring a fan -Get used to making friends. If you were awkward in high school or a loser nobody knows that and you can change it strait off the bat with a clean slate.

In three sentences

CMA is the best place to go if you want to find a high paying job straight after graduating. If sitting at a desk or in a lecture is not for you the maritime industry is where you want to be. You get what you put into this academy.

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